This article was co-authored by Candace Hanna. Candace Hanna is a stylist and style expert based in Southern California. With 15 years of corporate fashion experience, she now has combined her business savvy and her creative eye to form Style by Candace, a personal styling agency.

There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

Shopping is a lot of fun, which is why you probably love spending a day at the shops! Sometimes, though, you just need to get in and out with what's on your list. No matter what your attitude towards shopping may be, streamline your experience so you don't wear yourself down or break your budget. Make a plan before you head out, and then work on finding the perfect items. Also, use sales to your advantage to snag deals.

Steps

Part 1

Making a Plan

1

Set a budget so you don't go overboard. Checking out your finances isn't fun, but you have to do it when you're going shopping. Look at your finances and decide how much you have to spend. Make a budget and stick to it. Don't wrack up debt because you want a new purse.[1]

Take the amount you plan on spending in cash with you to the store instead of a credit card. That way, you can only spend what you have on you.

2

Make a list of what you need before you leave the house. If you just have a vague idea of what you want, you're going to waste time figuring it out while you're shopping. Plus, you may not end up with what you need, costing you more time and money to go back to the store. Be specific about your needs by examining what you already have.[2]

If you need more clothes, spend time digging through your closet. You may decide you need more everyday pants, a couple of button-up shirts, and a nice pair of shoes. That gives you a target for when you go shopping.

If you're buying for other people, think about what type of gift you'd like to get them, so you can decide where you want to go.

Group like items together, as you'll likely be visiting the same stores for those items.[3]

When deciding what to buy, pick the items you need most first, so you're not stuck doing without something you really need because you spent your money on something frivolous.

Candace Hanna

Owner, Style by Candace

Candace Hanna is a stylist and style expert based in Southern California. With 15 years of corporate fashion experience, she now has combined her business savvy and her creative eye to form Style by Candace, a personal styling agency.

Candace Hanna Owner, Style by Candace

Having a good plan is essential. Style expert Candace Hanna says: "First, go through your closet and identify what you really need, and make a list of those items. Before you go shopping, browse online for those pieces to see who carries them, so you don't waste time going through a whole mall without finding what you're looking for. Then, when you do go shopping, pick a specific item to focus on, like pants. Set a time limit and choose 3-4 stores to visit, and make sure to bring your list with you. That will keep you from getting overwhelmed and feeling defeated."

3

Decide how much time you want to spend shopping. If you only have an hour, you're not going to be able to hit 20 stores. Knowing exactly how much time you can spend will give you a chance to plan your stops.[4]

For instance, maybe you just have your lunch break, or maybe you can spend a couple of hours one afternoon.

4

Make an itinerary for your day. You only have so much time, so pick the most important things you need to shop for today. You can always circle back later if you have more time. However, don't miss the important items because you were busy window shopping for fancy jewelry.[5]

Decide on the stores you want to visit and make a route. Once you have everything grouped, pick the stores you need to visit for each set. For instance, you may have 2-3 stores you want to visit for clothing and a couple of stores you want to visit for gifts.[6]

Plan out a route that's efficient, so you're not doubling back.

Part 2

Making the Most of Your Day

1

Carpool with a friend with a similar itinerary to save money and have fun. Obviously, you want to be flexible and visit some shops they want, as well. Going together will help you save on gas, and you'll have someone along to help you make decisions.[7]

However, if you have completely different shops in mind, it may be best to just go separately.

Go by yourself if you need to get a lot done. Shopping with a friend is fun, but you can also get distracted and waste time. If you have a large amount of shopping to get done, consider going by yourself. You can stay focused just on the shopping and work on hunting down deals.

2

Make a sweep around the store to find what you want. Of course, you should have a good idea of what you want, but when you're buying items like clothes, they can be scattered all around the store. Make a wide circle to figure out what you need from each section.[8]

On the other hand, if you know you want to buy a candle or specific genre of book, head to that section! Figure out what you need, grab it, and go.

If you can, try to plan an efficient route around the store.

3

Collect a pile of possible items as you go and sort them later. When you're buying something like clothing, you don't know what's going to look best until you try it on. Pick up "maybes" all around the store, then take them all to the dressing room.[9]

You can also use this same technique if you're trying to decide on a gift for someone. Pick up a few things, then just buy the one you decide on. However, make sure you give any items you don't want to a sales person, instead of just leaving them on a random shelf.

4

Decide what you're going to buy. Compare what you've collected to what's on your list. Make sure you've got your list covered, and try not to buy too many extras, so you stay within your budget.

If you're trying on clothes, buy only what you absolutely love. If you don't love it, you won't wear it, and you'll be wasting your money.[10]

When deciding what to buy, consider the price of the item, your budget, and how important it is right now. For instance, maybe you need those 3 shirts for work, but the shoes can wait for another time.

Part 3

Saving Money

1

Be flexible on the brand or model. Sometimes, you can find a great deal if you're just willing to look outside one of the brands you had your heart set on. For instance, you may find a great deal on a vacuum, even if it's not the brand you wanted.[11]

If you want to stay with one brand, check other models to see if the company is discounting those instead.

2

Pick up items when they're going out of season. When items start to go out of season, retailers will put them on sale to clear the inventory. That's great news for you, as you can snatch up good deals.[12]

For instance, you can start getting deals on winter clothing and bedding towards the end of January and February.

3

Shop on holidays to get deals. Retailers know people will be off on holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Presidents' Day, so they want to draw you into their stores to spend money. That means they'll be running sales, so you can get a good deal.[13]

However, always check the prices in the weeks leading up to the holiday, as sometimes "sale" prices aren't that great. You can use a price tracker for online websites or just check back every few days.[14]

4

Look around for holiday bargains on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. You know Black Friday offers some good deals, even though you'll have to fight the crowds. As retailers have moved the Black Friday deals earlier and earlier, some have even started opening on Thanksgiving. If you don't mind ducking out before or after the big meal, you can pick up items for the holidays at a discount.[15]

Once again, it's always a good idea to check prices in the weeks leading up to this holidays, as some items won't be that discounted.

Also, don't forget Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, the Saturday and Monday right after Thanksgiving.

No, but it could be dangerous to carry lots of cash. It could be stolen and some stores won't accept large bills because it drains the cash register of change. You could always get a debit card so it'll be connected to your bank account.

How long should I spend shopping before I take a break? Should I go to all the shops first and then buy?

Community Answer

Shop for as long as you need. Definitely go to all the shops first in case you find a nicer or cheaper thing at another store. You will want to shop and compare. As for breaks, just go by how you feel. If you are tired, take a break.

Article Info

FEATURED ARTICLE

This article was co-authored by Candace Hanna. Candace Hanna is a stylist and style expert based in Southern California. With 15 years of corporate fashion experience, she now has combined her business savvy and her creative eye to form Style by Candace, a personal styling agency.